Topic: starbase speed rotation

[Don Karnage]

i was wondering how fast a starbase rotate?, not move since they don't move but the station starbase ect rotate i was wondering how fast the go?, i was trying to stay beside the shield that i fire at but it rotate faster that 31, so i was wondering how fast a station rotate?

just wondering 

[intermech]

Here is the formula:

RPM = (60/(2 X PI)) X (9.81/R)^(1/2)

Where RPM is revolutions per minute (duh).

R is distance station from center of the station to the main deck (target area for your artificial gravity) in meters.

Here is a plot showing the required speeds a station would have to turn to simulate gravity based on its diameter:

[KBF MalaK]

I think starbase rotation is 'cosmetic'- it doesn't need to rotate to make gravity from centrifigal force, like starships it has 'artificial gravity'.

[Klingon Fanatic]

I think starbase rotation is 'cosmetic'- it doesn't need to rotate to make gravity from centrifigal force, like starships it has 'artificial gravity'.

If Centrifugal force is sufficient AND energy efificient to maintain gravity, why have artificial gravity at all? Of course, Starfleet loves redundant/fail-safe systems.

Qapla!

KF

[Just plain old Punisher]

The only purpose in the game for starbase rotation is to allow the starbase itself to be able to fire all of its weapons. Beyond that, the game treats the starbase model just like any other starship -- the only difference being that the starbase cannot move.

[KBF MalaK]

I think starbase rotation is 'cosmetic'- it doesn't need to rotate to make gravity from centrifigal force, like starships it has 'artificial gravity'.

If Centrifugal force is sufficient AND energy efificient to maintain gravity, why have artificial gravity at all? Of course, Starfleet loves redundant/fail-safe systems.

Qapla!

KF

The further from the fulcrum you go, the stronger the effects of centrifigal force becomes, so to have a 1g at the outer edge of the base you'll have lesser gravity toward the center. It just make more sense to have  uniform gravity everywhere on the station via the magic artificial gravity machine- just like on starships.

[Scottish Andy]

Plus there's the tiny factoid that centrifugal force would have the people inside climbing the walls. Literally. The edge of the station would be the 'floor'. that huge Earth spacedock station? Regila I/Starbase 375? The Utopia Planitia stations? They are useless designs for the purpose of centrifugal pseudo-gravity. All centrifugal-gravity starbases would be cylindrical, and their decks would be arranged concentrically, like the age rings of a tree. Docking stations? They'd have to be on the centreline and the ship would have to match rotation (spin on it's own x-axis) to dock.

The space station from '2001: A Space Odyssey' is a centrifugal station. Babylon 5 is a centrifugal station.

Basically, while centrifugal gravity stations have their own design challenges, it is incredibly primitive. Plus, as MalaK pointed out, the rotation speed has to be judged. You can't have too thick a habitable section or the core decks will be too light. Or, if you aim the 1-g diameter in the middle of the deck structure, the outer decks will be too heavy. It is far more convenient to have artificial gravity, because all the points of reference that a human on a planet has are then duplicated in space. You can beam up to an artificial gravity station and walk anywhere absentmindedly. The decks on centrifugal stations are always curving. You get heavier the further out from the 1-g deck you go, and lighter the further in you go. To get to the central zero-g docking bay requires thinking in non-planetary terms.

It's just a whole lot more convenient for planetary-based species to dupicate their environs on starships and starbases. Rotation in SFB/C  was to uncover firing arcs and hide damaged shields. In Star Trek, DS9 doesn;t rotate, neither does Starbase 375 or Spacedock. it's unnecessary strain on the hull.

[Don Karnage]

a planet fire from all side but not rotating, i prefer attacting a planet that a battle station, the station will destroyed my ship but with a planet i can get them

[CC22]

Sorry - I find it hard to see what your getting at! lol.

[Don Karnage]

a starbase rotate to fire all its weapons, but a planet don't rotate and well it seem to fire all its weapons.

[Riskyllama]

thats because the planet's weapons are located at the poles and suffer a relatively large distance penalty, since they're firing from about 10-20K under the plane of your ship. So when you fire at the planet at range 15, the planet is shooting back from range 30 or so.

[Commander Maxillius]

thats because the planet's weapons are located at the poles and suffer a relatively large distance penalty, since they're firing from about 10-20K under the plane of your ship. So when you fire at the planet at range 15, the planet is shooting back from range 30 or so.

That depends on the size of the model.  There's a small planet that is exacly how you describe, but there's also a much larger one with the outer edge of the rings a full 100k away from the center.  I've seen that with weapons on it and it's pretty funny to start a mission to see the remains of 2 starbases and 4 defsats spinning, while the planet's trying to fire at me but it can't because the ph4's only reach to 100k

[Lieutenant_Q]

I wonder if it would work better to simply place weapons on Def Sats.  On the Homeworld planets its really screwed up.  Drones, Plasmas, and Hellbores cannot be fired because they "hit" the planet on the way out.  Maybe keep a few Phaser 4's on the planet's surface, closer to the equator.

[KBF MalaK]

Phasers would likely suffer atmospheric degredation firning through clouds and dust and stuff. I'd think they'de retain more power/distance firing in the 'clean' vacuum of space, but Ph4's can only be mounted on a full blown starbase, not a def platform. Maybe the pirates managed to rig em on outposts but they always had a slight tech advantage compared to the main races (I'm quoting my tech memory from pre-TNG).

[Scottish Andy]

Nah, that's not right. The Pirates never got access to Ph4 technology. Even their bases are not armed with Ph4s, the best they could get was Ph1s.

[Lieutenant_Q]

and honestly, it doesn't matter about the "physics"  The UAW mod has Starships armed with Phaser-4s.  So there's no reason why Def Sats can't be armed with them.  Perhaps someone could make a better Def Sat Model, as the ones in the game are awefully large.

[KBF MalaK]

and honestly, it doesn't matter about the "physics"  The UAW mod has Starships armed with Phaser-4s.  So there's no reason why Def Sats can't be armed with them.  Perhaps someone could make a better Def Sat Model, as the ones in the game are awefully large.

Thats just wrong. Ph-4's are so BIG they physically couldn't be mounted on a starship. Kinda like Plas-R's, the ship was built around the launcher because it was so BIG.